Clues to Love and Family
by Burning Underground
Summary: [Vespio {Vector x Espio}] The tale of the beginning. Not very many beings have heard it, but this is how our favorite detective agency came to be...
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Ugh, there's so little Vespio** **stories!**  
 **...**  
 **Wait...**  
 **I CAN JUST WRITE MY OWN**

 **Characters belong to Sega blah, blah, blah**  
 **Male x Male blah, blah, blah**  
 **Warnings...**  
 **Just don't read it if it triggers ya, 'kay?**

It might've been fate that lead our small family to where it is now... I presume you would like to hear the story?

I suppose it started a long while ago.

I had just moved to the large city of Station Square, having completed my training, and he had been kicked out of college for the second time. I wanted to do something great with my life, something that would make my sensei proud, and he couldn't care less about what his family, or anyone else for that matter, thought of him. We were opposites even then, and it must've been by some kind of predetermined fate that we ran into each other in front of that Japanese restaurant with the orange haired anime girl with a bowl of soba and chopsticks in her hair on the sign.

When I had apologized for bumping into him, I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. His eyes glistened in the sun as he removed the headphones that adorned his head, and even then I couldn't tolerate the loud music coming from them. He gave a small smile, seeming friendly enough.

"Sorry about that, dude. I guess I was just too into my music."

"No, no. It was my fault." I disagreed. "I was paying to much attention to my map."

He chuckled. "Guess we both need to learn to pay attention, huh?"

I had a small smile, glad that I had bumped into someone friendly in the large city. The crocodile looked to the luggage that had been beside me, then to the map that was in my hands. "So, you're new? Where'd you come from?"

"A place far away from here." I said, hoping he wouldn't pry. He just shrugged, as if he didn't mind me wanting to keep my personal life secret.

"Do ya need help finding something?" He asked me.

I looked back to the map, unsure if I should trust him. With a sigh, I had put my differences aside, much rather wanting shelter. "I'm trying to find an apartment building around here, but this map isn't helping... I believe that it is called Hollystone Apartments."

"Hey, I know where that is!" He smiled. "After all, I live there."

"So you can take me there?" I questioned.

He nodded before holding up his hand, his fingers spread out. "The name's Vector."

I stared at his hand in confusion, not knowing what a high five was at the time, and moved his hand so I could shake it. "Espio."

He looked at me before breaking out into laughter unlike anything else I've ever heard. "I think I'm gonna like ya, Espio."

I didn't say anything after that, and he didn't seem to mind, putting the headphones back on and gesturing me to follow. I gladly did, bags held tightly in my hands. We were silent, though the ones walking around us were not.

Just a few blocks away stood the building I had been looking for. Vector walked in, me close behind. Luckily, I had made previous arrangements with the manager of the building, so it wasn't much trouble finding my apartment.

"Woah, what a coincidence!" The crocodile smiled. "My apartment is right beside yours!"

I smiled at Vector, glad that I'd be able to see my new friend. I then looked to my door, unlocking and opening it.

I definitely wasn't back at the dojo. The place was a pigsty, and it smelled of rotten food and dirty socks. No where near the fresh cherry blossoms I was use to. Still, I didn't show my disgust, my training helping me hide it easily. Vector actually helped me settle in, helping me unpack. He was so surprised when he first saw my array of weapons, and it was kind of amusing to see him looking through them, and asking about where and how I got them. I, of course, didn't tell him much, but I did tell him that I was ninja who just finished training. Surprisingly, he didn't react how I thought he would. Instead of fear, he smiled at me, his eyes seeming to sparkle with interest.

After we finished unpacking, we stood outside on the fire escape, looking at the sun as it set. I felt that I had accomplished a lot that day, and I hoped my sensei would be proud of what I become. Of course, I didn't know what fate had stored for me.

When Vector left to sleep, I stayed up and cleaned, not having been tired. I wanted to get the rotten smell away, and it was hard to do so. Obviously, the place hadn't been cleaned since the last owner, and maybe even the owner before that. I made sure that everything was thoroughly cleaned, my mind not even once wanting to sleep. The sun rose when I had finally finished, and I then prepared myself a calming cup of Gyokuro. I remember feeling slightly fatigued, but I didn't let myself sleep.

I sat on the couch, sipping my tea slightly as I glanced around the room. I thought about what I could try to do to gain money. After all, it wasn't my plan to live in that apartment my whole life. I just needed a place to start.

I believe it was almost noon when a knocking on my door alerted me to it's presence. After I finished my tea, I had been meditating for a long while.

The knocking continued, so I got up from my place on the floor and opened it. Vector stood before me, a happy smile on his face. "Hey, Espio. How was your first night?"

"I cleaned." I said gesturing to the room behind me. "I didn't want to sleep until I made certain that everything was to my liking."

"Did you get any sleep?"

I just shook my head, not really seeing why it would be a big deal.

"Jeez, you should rest, Espio."

"Why? I feel only slightly fatigued."

"Well, sleep is important, even if you don't feel tired. I don't want my new friend to pass out from sleep loss."

I nodded. "Understood. Did you just get up?"

"Yeah, I usually sleep late." He said. "Anyways, do you have any plans for today."

"I was thinking about finding a job to maintain this apartment."

"Well, I could help ya find one, but on one condition."

"And what would that be?" I questioned.

"Let me treat ya to brunch."

"I couldn't let you pay for that."

"C'mon, Espio. I wanna show ya a cool place." Vector smiled. "I don't mind paying for ya. Besides, you don't have any food here yet."

I sighed as my stomach rumbled slightly. "Fine, but one day, I'm repaying the favor."

He only chuckled. "If you say so."

With that, we left the building, and as fate would have it, a blue blur ran past us, causing me to stumble and be pushed to the side, taking me by surprise. Luckily, Vector made sure I didn't fall.

And that's how this all began.


	2. Chapter 2

**Translations for any Japanese spoken is after the chapter.**

Vector always had this way of pushing one to do something they didn't actually want to do. Maybe that's the reason I found myself in a coffee shop, considering working as a substitute teacher for a group of preschoolers.

"Ah, c'mon, Espio! You'll learn to love it! Besides, you don't need any qualifications for it! As long as you don't kill someone, you're bound to get the job!"

"That's the problem. I can't tolerate children."

"But aren't you ninja types all about zen or whatever?"

"Yes, but children, especially preschoolers, are the one thing that breaks that peace of mind."

"You do need the job, though. And it pays well."

And that's how I got my first job.

 **._.**

"Hello, children." The lady sheep in the long skirt smiled to the kids, who weren't paying any attention. "This is Espio, your substitute teacher. Treat him with respect, now. That means you, Danny."

A young ferret sitting in front of me crossed his arms and huffed. Then, the lady left me to deal with the children, who all seemed to smirk the second the door was closed. I knew I shouldn't have let Vector drive me there.

It was silent for about five seconds before the room erupted in screams and I was being tackled and pulled on by all the kids at once. I didn't have much time to react before they all ran off to the sound of the ferret kid shouting something. It wasn't even a minute after the class started, but I was exhausted and not up for the rest of the day.

That was basically how the rest of the day went until the time to go home was upon me. I walked outside to find Vector leaning against the wall, jamming to what sounded like classic rock. He looked to me and smiled, but broke out laughing at the state I was in. I had, in fact, been covered in glitter and stickers among other things.

"I quit."

 **._.**

"No."

"That's what you said the last time!"

"Yes, and last time ended in failure." I sighed to Vector as I sipped my coffee. We had been job hunting for about two weeks, and every try ended in failure. There just wasn't any place for me in this city. "Maybe I should just move back to the dojo..."

"What!?" Vector's eyes shone with surprise. "You can't leave; you just got here!"

I looked down to the small table between us. "Yes, and I came here to make my sensei proud. This just isn't the right place..."

"It's not the right place until you make it right."

I looked back up to him. "What do you mean."

"You have to make this place what you want of it. There are other ways to make your sensei proud. You just have to figure it out."

"Mochiron! Arigatou gozaimasu, Vector!" My mind was reeling as I ran out of the shop, but I could here Vector's confusion behind me.

"Eh... What?"

 **._.**

"You want to do what?"

"Join G.U.N."

"Are you sure about that, Espio? I know you aren't big with government..."

"But I know my sensei will be proud of me for utilizing my skills."

The ivory bat looked apprehensive, but nodded with a sigh. "Okay... I'll see if I can put in a good word for you to the Commander."

"Thank you, Rouge. This is why we keep in touch."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Of course not."

"Good."

 **._.**

Yes, I had been friends with Rouge. We knew each other when we were young. She didn't want to be taught what to do anymore, so she left the dojo, but I had promised to keep in touch with her. She never really met Vector until the, uh, Metal predicament. We had lost touch, and I forgot about her... I really wish I hadn't...

 **._.**

I remember walking back to the apartment building when I stopped at a wonderful sound. I was by a music store near the Japanese restaurant where I first met Vector. The sound coming out of the store was a wonderful song on the piano, and I couldn't help but walk in.

And that's when I found out Vector could play the piano.

It was mesmerizing, really, and he seemed to have been lost in his music, eyes closed as if he knew it by heart. It felt like it went on forever, and nobody in the store was complaining. They even acted like it was normal, and I wondered if he went there to play often.

When it ended, nobody applauded, but I simply walked up to him with my own quiet clapping. He jumped in surprise before smiling at me. "H-Hey there, Espio!"

"You didn't tell me you could play..."

"Yeah..." He rubbed the back of his head. "It's the only reason they hired me."

"You work here?"

"Yeah." The crocodile smiled. "Anyways, you seemed pretty excited when you ran out this morning."

"I am sorry that I left you... I had to get in contact with an old friend before she left to her own job."

"That's fine. So what were you doing."

"I got a job." I smiled proudly to myself.

"Hey, that's great! What is it?"

"I'm going to work for G.U.N."

"The government? Jeez, Espio, how'd you manage to do that?"

"My friend works there."

"Well, congratulations."

"Thank you." I smiled before I looked around the shop.

"Do you play anything?"

I looked back to him and shrugged. "A bit, but not that much."

"Which instrument?"

"The shamisen..."

"I think we got one of those. Hang on a sec." He stood up and started digging around the store, looking through various instruments. Finally, he found what he was looking for. He brought the instrument to me and I saw that it was indeed a shamisen. I only stared at it before he handed me it, and I gripped it gently in my hands. When I noticed that the stringed instrument didn't have a bachi, I reached into the cuff of my glove and pulled a small one out. My sensei had given it to me as a parting gift, and I never had it too far away from me.

I glanced to Vector before I strummed, the sound echoing throughout the store as everyone turned to me. I didn't notice them though, my mind only filled with the sheet music that I knew so well as I strummed. Of course, when I noticed people staring, I immediately stopped, much to Vector's disappointment.

"Why'd ya stop?'

"People are staring..." I mumbled quietly.

"Who cares about that? It happens all the time."

"I care..." I felt myself shrink at the stares.

Vector seemed to notice that I was uncomfortable because he took the instrument from me and walked to the counter, saying something before going back and giving it to me. "Now you van play it in your apartment."

Embarrassingly, it took me a few seconds to realize what he did. "Oh! You really didn't need to do that; I can't take this gift."

He just chuckled. "Just think of it as a late housewarming gift."

I tried yet again to give it back, but he only gave it back. I ended up giving up and walked out of the store with Vector by my side and the shamisen in my hands.

I still have that instrument, and I don't think I'd ever give it away...

 **Sometimes, Espio will slip into Japanese because he is either flustered, excited, or aggravated.**

 **Here are the translations brought to you by me looking them up on the internet!**

 **"Mochiron! Arigatou gozaimasu, Vector!"-** **Of course! Thank you, Vector** **!**


End file.
